LG Points The Finger At ‘High Demand’ For Nexus 4 Shortage

Google’s stayed pretty quiet when it comes to explaining the shortage of Nexus 4 smartphones, so that left LG to do the talking. Both times the smartphone went up for sale on the Play Store it sold out in record time leaving numerous consumers left wanting. Andy Coughlin, head of mobile at LG UK had this to say on the matter:

The device has proven extremely popular, and as such retailers have been met with huge demand. We are working closely with Google to ensure that those who wish to purchase a handset are able to do so.

While we’re glad that LG is working diligently with Google to push out more Nexus 4 devices, that still leaves us wondering what happened here. Did Google honestly underestimate the demand around a new Nexus device? Or is the scarce product a telling sign of an intelligent strategy on Google’s part to create and maintain a high profile buzz around their product? Regardless of the why, industry analysts seem to agree that the shortage is great for both Google and Android.

It’s hard to say whether Google underestimated demand, or whether they chose simply to have a number of devices available. The fact that the Nexus 4 is high profile is good for Google. All of this raises the public profile of Android. All of this helps Google’s strategic objectives.